Gigabyte Aero 15
TAKES THE SAME CORE COMPONENTS AS THE BLADE, BUT ENDS UP WITH A SURPRISINGLY DIFFERENT RESULT.
A QUICK GLANCE at the Aero 15 spec sheet will immediately tell you that it shares a lot in common with the Razer Blade — both are slim, high-performance machines built around the same core components of Intel Core i7-7700HQ CPU, 16GB DDR4 RAM, GeForce GTX 1060 GPU and NVMe SSD. This is a bit of a case of an X-Wing versus a TIE Fighter — or designers versus engineers, if you’d prefer, because while this Gigabyte machine might not be quite as sleek as the Razer, it packs in more features and is arguably a bit better value on the whole.
The key point of difference between these two is obviously the Aero’s screen. It’s nearly bezel-less, with just a 5mm border on the top and sides, something that’s allowed Gigabyte to squeeze a 15.6-inch panel into what’s basically the body of a 14-inch laptop. That panel also comes factory-calibrated for design work — it’s ‘X-Rite Pantone’ certified, meaning it’s been adjusted to be as accurate as possible for “project-to-print” work. And despite just being a VA-based display (rather than IPS), we found the Aero’s colours richer, deeper and more natural than on the Razer’s IPS panel. The bigger display does make this unit more enjoyable to game on, too, so if you’re not planning to use an external monitor, this one will give you a better gaming experience.
The Aero throws in a couple of extra ports, making it a bit more flexible, too — on top of Razer’s HDMI, three USB 3.0 Type-A and single USB 3.1 Type-C ports, the Gigabyte adds a Thunderbolt 3/mini-DP combo, Gigabit Ethernet and an SD card reader. And it also doubles the storage, with a newer (and quite a lot faster) 512GB Samsung NVMe SSD.
Given the slim chassis, the Aero 15 does a passable job of keeping that heat under control, with large vents on the bottom for drawing in cooler air which is then ejected out the back of the unit and over the screen, something which kept its GPU around 10% cooler in game testing. Fan noise wasn’t quite as loud either, although it does escalate the longer you play, as the internal heat gradually builds up — anyone in the same room is going to know when you’re gaming.
The Aero’s design is a bit rough-and-tumble in parts — it’s more concerned with getting the job done than looking super flash. It has a bigger footprint than the Blade and it’s also 15% heavier at 2.13kg versis 1.86kg. The chassis is a mixed affair, combining CNC-milled aluminium parts (for the keyboard deck and screen frame) with plastic parts (most notably on the underside and the lid). It’s quite handsome but nowhere near as solid or reassuring as the Blade’s unibody design.
The Aero doesn’t always win on the practicality front either. That 15.6-inch screen draws more power than the Blade’s 14-incher, so even with a bigger battery, the Aero lasted almost an hour less in the demanding PCMark 8 Home battery life test, managing 3:22hr vs the Blade’s 4:15hr.
The placement of the Aero’s webcam is also annoying. The bezel-less display means it’s had to be positioned below the screen, just above the hinge. Let’s just say that we hope you look good when shot from slightly below chin height.
In most respects, these are both fine laptops, however, and if you’re trying to choose between them, it’s ultimately a question of what you value more: a bigger and arguably better screen and a handful of extra inputs and outputs, or a sleeker, tougher and lighter chassis along with an additional hour or so of battery life. It’s a tough call.